Accidental cuts or punctures may occur due to sharp instruments, either during use, during transfer from one person to another, or from inadvertent misplacement thereof in potentially dangerous locations. Such injuries are particularly dangerous in the medical arena, as diseases can be spread through accidental contact with “sharps,” including scalpel blades or the like. In particular, scalpels may include a reusable handle that can be assembled with a disposable blade. Such handles may not include any protection from contact with the blade when assembled thereto and, further, may present additional opportunity for injury during removal of a to-be-disposed blade prior to reuse of the handle.
Accordingly, further advances in protection from injury due to inadvertent contact with scalpel blades, including during removal, are desired.